How to Recognize, Prevent, and Respond to Sexual Harassment in Public Spaces?

Did you know that one in three women experiences some form of violence, and every 15 minutes, a woman in Croatia becomes a victim of sexual harassment on the street? Sexual harassment in public spaces is not an isolated incident but a widespread social issue that demands urgent action.

These alarming statistics were presented at the Stand Up Against Sexual Harassment panel, powered by L’Oréal Paris, held at the third Women’s Weekend at the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Rijeka. The panel featured Karla Pudar, Executive Manager of the Solidarna Foundation, Irena Šarić Dombaj, Director of Corporate Communications at L’Oréal Adria-Balkan, and Ida Prester, musician, TV host, and ambassador of the Stand Up Against Street Harassment program. They shared their experiences and emphasized the need for social and legislative change.

“Harassment is embedded in our culture and is a global issue—it is so normalized worldwide that it creates a serious obstacle. Often, we dismiss catcalls or comments with a wave of the hand or a nervous laugh, but we shouldn’t. Harassment is very often of a sexual nature and includes any form of unwanted and unwelcome interaction. It can be verbal or non-verbal, including physical actions. Examples of harassment include comments on appearance, unwanted touching, incidents on public transport, or even while socializing with friends at a café. These behaviors are unacceptable and should never be tolerated,” explained Karla Pudar, stressing that violence is never the victim’s responsibility.

“This is the key message we need to keep reinforcing—empowering girls from an early age to recognize their boundaries and know they have the right to protect them,” she added.

A Global Campaign for Safer Public Spaces L’Oréal Paris, in partnership with the Solidarna Foundation, launched the global campaign “Street Harassment Is Never Your Fault”, as part of the Stand Up Against Street Harassment project. Irena Šarić Dombaj explained that this program was introduced worldwide in 2020 following research that revealed a staggering 80% of women experience harassment in public spaces, yet only 25% of bystanders choose to intervene.

“Even more concerning is that 53% of respondents believe women are responsible for harassment—whether due to their behavior or clothing choices. These statistics motivated us to launch this campaign to educate as many people as possible on intervention strategies and make public spaces safer for everyone,” emphasized Irena Šarić Dombaj.

The 5D Methodology: Five Strategies to Combat Sexual Harassment A key element of the program is the 5D Methodology, which offers five strategies for responding to sexual harassment:

1. Direct (Confrontation) – Directly addressing the harasser, such as telling them to stop. However, this approach is recommended as a last resort due to the risk of escalation.
2. Distract – Redirecting the harasser’s attention, for example, by engaging the victim in a conversation to shift focus.
3. Delegate – Seeking help from others, such as passersby, public transport staff, or the police.
4. Document – Recording the incident to gather evidence that can support the victim in reporting the perpetrator.
5. Delay – Providing support to the victim after the incident, such as checking in with them or directing them to organizations that can help.

Karla Pudar also presented data from the Safe Places app, part of the international Safe Cities project, which allows users to report incidents of sexual harassment and collect data on their frequency.

“Most reported cases come from women under 35, with the most common locations being buses and trams. Interestingly, incidents don’t only occur late at night but also during the day—most frequently between 10–11 AM and 6–7 PM. The most common forms of harassment include inappropriate comments, unwanted touching, stalking, and even public masturbation,” she noted.

A particularly troubling aspect is that victims who report harassment often experience multiple similar incidents. Moreover, many women blame themselves after such experiences—questioning whether they wore the wrong outfit, were too polite, or should have chosen a different route home. However, it is crucial to emphasize that harassment is never the victim’s fault but solely the responsibility of the perpetrator.

Breaking the Cycle of Normalization “It’s been a long time since someone catcalled me or made unwanted physical contact, but I joined this project because I remember what I went through as a young girl. So many things were normalized because we grew up in an environment of complete tolerance for violence. When a girl is left alone in a club or on the street, she is often expected to stay silent and endure it, while the harasser is free to do whatever he pleases. This is what we are fighting against,” stated Ida Prester, ambassador of the Stand Up Against Street Harassment program.

The shared goal of all panelists was to raise awareness about this pressing issue and encourage more people to participate in training programs to learn how to help in such situations.

“Street safety is not just a women’s issue—we all need to work toward making public spaces safe for everyone,” the panelists concluded.

So far, 3.5 million people worldwide have been trained through the Stand Up Against Street Harassment program, with a goal of reaching 4.5 million. The training lasts about an hour and provides practical advice on how to respond to sexual harassment. Sessions are available both in-person and online, and anyone interested can find them on the official initiative website.

Everyone can make a difference—take the training and be part of the solution!